31 Jan
2007
31 Jan
'07
12:29 a.m.
ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
used in the
HP80 financial calculator).
Still have my HP-41 around, and it's still my all time favourite. I must
admit I have collcted some odd hardware for it over the years that I
don't really use much though... But it's a rather hacked CX with modules
built into it, and some nice stuff around. :-)
>> "William Donzelli" <wdonzelli at
gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Jim Willing was one of the pioneers in this computer collecting
hobby
>> > (I apply pioneers to those of us that
were doing this seriously over
>> > ten years ago - before this list, and before there even was a
hobby).
>>
>> Cool! I'm a pioneer, having collected these things for close to 25
years.
Even longer than me. I started in May 1986 (yes, it'll soon be 21 years
of computer collecting here ;-))
Started playing with a PDP-11/40 in 1982 or 1983 in a computer club at
that time. We also had some other very odd hardware that we tried to get
working and had fun with. No software, but we had a few peripherials, so
we had to write our own monitor just using the front panel. And of
course we had all the drawings for the machine. And we were always
trying to get someone to donate more stuff to us. And of course, my
school at the time used a PDP-11/70, and at nights I was hanging out at
the nearby university, where they had a whole bunch of DEC-10 machines
on which I could get guest accounts.
By 1986 I got my first two PDP-8 systems home.
Almost wish I was back in those days. So much fun. And some really odd
hardware was still around and possible to get your hands on... I wonder
what happened to the VT05 terminals that we managed to get, and that I
hacked to get rid of the margin bell... :-)
>> Well, I'm not sure I would call it
collecting in the normal sense
of the
> word. I
want to keep these machines running, useable, and in use.
Just like me again. I keep on saying at HPCC that I am not an HP
calculator collector. Yes, I have old HP calculators (handhelds and
desktops), but I use them. I keep them operational, I do program them, I
do use them for calculators. And I don't try to obtain every cosmetic
version (that is, with differnt position of the serial number label,
etc), but I am interested in at least seeing versions with substantially
different internals (like the 2 very different logic boards that were No, I am not intersted in having machines on the shelf
in original
condition. I want to be able to sue them, investigate them, and so on.
We think alike. :-)
Johnny
31 Jan
31 Jan
4:10 p.m.
Still have my HP-41 around, and it's still my all
time favourite. I must
I've forgotten how many HP41s I currently own (!). About the only major
thing I am missing is the 'halfnut' HP41C (yes, it did exist, it's rare
because the only way to get one was to send an HP41C in for repair and
for HP to replace it with a new machine [1]). I even have an 'Bug 1' HP41C...
[1] I am still suprised them made it. The difference between a C and a
CV is, of course, the amount of user memory. and in the halfnut versions
the RAM is combined with the ROM and the display drivers in a hybrid
module. I would have thought it would have been more expensive for HP to
do a speecial production run of 'C' hybrid modules to use in
service-replacemetn calculators than just to send out a CV when an
unrepairable C cam in for repair. And yes, it is a different hybrid
module, it's not set by a link on the PCB or anything...
Anyway, I like the HP41. I've got quite a few modules, an MLDL box, port
extender, HPIL (and plotter, disk drive, tape drive, Thinkjet, etc), and
so on. And technical documentation, etc...
Mind you, I prefer the HPIL implementation on the HP71B (I have a few of
those, the FOrth/Assembler ROM, HP41 translator ROM, the full IDS
manuals, etc).
No, I am not
intersted in having machines on the shelf in original
condition. I want to be able to sue them, investigate them, and so on.
We think alike. :-) 
6:42 p.m.
In article <m1HCPWm-000J0ZC at p850ug1>,
ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) writes:
I still have my HP41C that I got in my sophomore year of high school
when it was introduced. Aside from the occasional desire to have a
graphing calculator, the 41C was the last calculator that I needed --
it served me well all through high school (physics, chemistry and
math) and through college (EE degree with lots of extra chemistry). I
still use it when I have a lot of written down numbers I need to
manipulate. Usually around tax time!
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download
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Still have my
HP-41 around, and it's still my all time favourite. I must
I've forgotten how many HP41s I currently own (!). About the only major
thing I am missing is the 'halfnut' HP41C [..]
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